


Accidents Happen

by projectml



Series: Project: Bastille Day 2016 [4]
Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-07-14
Updated: 2016-07-14
Packaged: 2018-07-24 05:36:11
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 12,253
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7495911
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/projectml/pseuds/projectml
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The fourth Bastille AU for Project: Bastille Day 2016.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

_ 1791 - October _

The first time Marinette Dupain-Cheng killed someone, it was a complete and total accident.

It was early fall of her 18th year, shortly after she had moved in with her cousin Alya Césaire in Caen.The two girls had been spending a large portion of their time outside, enjoying picnics under the thick foliage of the trees in the forest that backed onto the Césaires’ large estate. 

“Don’t deny it, Marinette!” Alya laughed, on their way back from one such picnic. “You and Adrien Agreste are entering a courtship. It’s so very obvious.”

Marinette flushed at the thought of the young man who had eyes as green as leaves in the springtime. Adrien Agreste lived across the road from the Césaires, and was the son of the politician Gabriel Agreste. Marinette had always deeply admired Gabriel ever since she spent the better part of her teenaged years learning through books about philosophy and politics at the Abbey her father had sent to her live in after her mother died. So when she moved out to live in Caen, it was a delightful discovery that she might have a chance to speak with him. Even more delightful was that his son had a personality as sunny as the golden color of his hair.

“Alya, he is not courting me! We just have a lot to talk about,” Marinette insisted. “He has been telling me about how his father may become involved in the problems going on in Paris right now.”

Alya smirked at Marinette’s attempt to steer the conversation to the political state of France, and instead added, “All I am saying is that the way he looks at you when you are not looking is similar to the way you look at him all the time.”

Marinette blushed at having been caught. While it was true they were not courting, her heart fluttered at the sight of him and she desperately wanted to know what his hair would feel like if she were able to run her fingers through it. 

“I do not think he feels that way about me Alya, he talks to me as he does to you. To be honest, I think he looks at me the same way he does at the Parisian girl who comes here from time to time with her father, Chloé.”

“That girl? She’s vile, and the only reason Adrien would look at her twice is because their fathers get along. Trust me, Adrien wants to court you, but is probably having the same fears you are about not having his feelings returned.” 

Before Marinette could respond, she heard footsteps coming from behind them, further down the path. She and Alya shared a look of worry. This forest was rarely frequented, as it backed onto water on two sides and the estate on the third. Not only that, but the footsteps seemed to be coming up quite quickly, as if they were running. She couldn’t tell if it was one set of feet or two.

She put a finger up to her lips and pulled Alya off the path and behind some large bushes, giving them a vantage to see who it was without being seen themselves. Thankfully, earthy, natural colours had begun to be been in style to wear, even for the nobles, allowing them to blend in with their surroundings. 

After a moment, owners of the footsteps came rushing around the bend in the path. A tall, thin man with a long face was chasing after a terrified dark haired girl who looked to be not much younger than the two hiding in the bush. When she looked back to see if the man was still pursuing her, she tripped over a root in the path, allowing the man to gain the final bit of ground to catch her. She scooted back on her hands and feet, still trying to get away from him without much luck as he reached her and grabbed hold of her hair, yanking it to pull her onto her feet. 

Marinette stifled a gasp when the girl let out a scream of pain.

“Finally caught you, little girly,” the man sneered. It was then that Marinette noticed the state of the two interlopers. The girl had bruising and cuts on her wrists. Her blouse was torn and stained with blood, along with her faded brown skirt. She wore the typical  _ tricolore  _ cockade, which was in no better shape than the rest of her clothing, pinned to a red hooded cloak. Her cloak was typical of the women in the working class; however, hers was stained with black splotches. 

Similarly, the man wore simplistic clothing; brown pants sans-culottes, a tan coloured shirt and a deep green short overcoat. What Marinette noticed most was that there was blood smeared on his shirt, likely from the same girl he currently had a hold of.

“Let go of me!” the girl screamed, causing the man bark an ugly laugh. 

“Now, now, aren’t you forgetting that you owe me? Your father cheated me out of a perfectly good pig, so now I’m going to have you pay those debts back.”

“I’m not some pig that you can tie up and keep in the barn!” she cried. He reached down and grabbed her rear, causing another shriek from her. “DON’T TOUCH ME THERE!”

Her outburst angered the man, and his eyes turned hard, a scowl replacing the evil smile he had been sporting before. Marinette watched as he struck her across the face with his free hand.

She couldn’t hold back any longer. Seeing this innocent girl be abused by this man for something her father did… she had to act, and fast. 

As if sensing her friend was about to do something dangerous, Alya grabbed Marinette’s arm and gave her a look that clearly said, ‘Don’t do something you’ll regret.’

Marinette nodded and glanced around to find something she could use as a weapon if her words failed to stop this man. She rummaged through her handbag and pulled out a knife that they had brought for their food. She concealed it inside against the inside of her wrist before quietly making her way behind the man.

The girl’s eyes grew wide when she noticed Marinette emerging from of the bushes.

“Monsieur, I don’t believe that’s a proper way to treat a young lady.”

The man whipped around at Marinette’s voice to see her standing there, a sweet smile plastered on her face. He seemed taken aback by her demeanor as she had obviously seen what he had done to this girl and yet spoke to him like it was a normal conversation. 

“Girl, leave us alone, this is between her and I. No need to get your pretty little hands involved.” 

Marinette’s smile stayed there while she replied, “ _ Monsieur _ , with all due respect, this is not your land. This part of the forest belongs to the Césaire family. As someone who is related to them, I am well aware that you are not. So when something heinous happens on their land, on  _ our _ land, it is my business. And so I ask: why you are treating this girl with such roughness?”

“Her family cheated me out of something and her coward father has not repaid it, so I’m simply taking what I am due.”

Marinette’s smile faded from her face. “Please let go of the girl. She doesn’t look very comfortable like that.”

The man tossed the girl aside and in three long strides, came up to Marinette and glared down at her. “If you know what’s good for you,  _ madame _ , you’ll leave us be.”

She frowned. “Did you not understand what I was saying? This is not your land, so leave her here and be gone.”

“Oh yes? And if there were no witnesses, who would know that I was on your land?” he replied and reached out to grab her by the throat. She tried to sidestep and avoid it, but he managed to get a hold of neck, lifting her up so they were at eye level. 

She strained against his grip, her breaths came out in short gasps. Out of the corner of her eye, she could see Alya poking her head out from behind the bushes to attempt to do something. Her eyes widened and he took notice of where she was looking. Using his distraction as a chance, Marinette let the knife slip down into her hand and thrust it into the man’s neck with as much force as she could muster. To her surprise, the knife did not meet much resistance and she flinched when some blood splattered against her face. She dropped quickly when the man’s hand let her go in an attempt to stop himself from bleeding, but the knife had gone clean through into his jugular. The man fell sideways and stopped moving altogether. 

Alya came rushing out to make sure that Marinette was alright, only to be pushed away so her friend could empty the contents of her stomach onto the pathway. When she had regained some colour into her face, Marinette looked up at the girl who was staring at the dead man in terror and relief. With adrenalin pumping in her veins, she pushed herself to stand and approach the girl. 

“Are you alright now, mademoiselle?” she asked.

Her words shocked the girl out of her state of shock, and she nodded quickly. “Thank you so much! I don’t know what I would have done, had you not come along. I am sorry to have inconvenienced you in any way.”

Marinette waved a hand in dismissal. “I was only trying to help. What is your name?”

“Manon. I live a little ways from here on the farming lands. I had thought coming out here would get me far enough away from Monsieur Xavier, but I was mistaken.”

Alya spoke up this time. “We’re sorry you had to go through that Manon. Come with us and we’ll clean you up. You look like you could use a bath and some clean clothes. Then we’ll get you back to your family.”

Manon’s eyes started to become wet with unshed tears. “Thank you both so much. However, I could not accept such kindness after you have saved me. I would be happy enough to just go home.”

Marinette smiled. “Nonsense! We women have to look out for each other. We would be happy to let you rest a while before heading back. I know that your family must be worried, but you must also be exhausted. This whole ordeal has taken a lot out of all of us and there is still plenty of daylight left. We shall have you back before nightfall.”

The tears Manon had been holding back flowed freely and she threw herself in front of the two women in a bow. “Merci… Merci beaucoup…” she repeated softly. The two older girls smiled and helped her up and back to the estate. 

* * *

The second time Marinette Dupain-Cheng killed someone, it wasn’t an accident.

* * *

For four nights after the events in the forest, Marinette had nightmares about the man. The first night, her mind replayed the events as they had happened down to the wicked smile he had on his face when she was gasping for air. She woke up with the feeling of a hand around her neck.

The second night, she  _ was _ M. Xavier, and she watched as her dream self stabbed him in the neck. She woke up gasping for hair, half expecting there to be a puncture wound.

The third night, she was watching it happen from an outside perspective. She saw the look of horror on Alya’s face when he grabbed her, then the same look on Manon’s face when her attacker was stabbed. She woke up to her cheeks wet with tears.

The fourth night, the events were slightly different than they had actually happened. Instead of being scared for her life in the moment, she felt excited and could see terror on M. Xavier’s face. She laughed as she stabbed him first in the arm to force him to let her go, then in the neck as it had actually happened, and, finally, straight through the heart. She woke up and her cheeks hurt, similar to when she smiled too much. 

That fourth night, instead of fitfully trying to get a good night’s sleep, she rose from her bed and made her way to the door. On her way out, she noticed the red and black splotched cape Manon had left and grabbed it. The last thing she needed was someone thinking she was a noblewoman out on her own at night. 

She snuck out as quietly as she could and made her way into the town to wander around and hopefully clear her head. There were few people around at that time of night, only those returning from the bar after drinking themselves silly. They mostly ignored her in favour of the prostitutes that loitered in the alleyways and under the bridges, so she was free to walk the streets. 

_ Why am I not feeling more guilty about this? Especially after that dream… I just killed a man and I feel no remorse after seeing what he did to poor Manon,  _ she thought, disgusted at what men would do to women. As if enforcing her point, she watched a man grab one of the concubines by the hair into an alleyway, promises of money on his tongue.  _ Why do they think they can get away with this? In those books I read about the women of the Roman kingdom, the women held more power over land and over the men themselves… Where did this change? _

She was no longer scared, but felt powerless and angry that she was unable to do anything for the countless others who were at the mercy of people who believed they were above others.

Along the horizon, morning light started to pour over the hills and Marinette shielded her eyes from the glare. In her peripheral vision, she noticed a shadow moving across the houses that were closer together in town, in the same direction she was currently headed - towards her home. Curious about this person's intentions, she followed closely behind, careful to avoid being seen until they came upon her district where the houses were further apart and the shadow of a person had to resume their mission on the ground. 

She followed them up until they reached the Agreste Mansion where they went around to the side of the house and tested out a window which opened up quietly. 

_ They’re trying to steal from Adrien’s home! _ She thought, watching the shadow enter his home uninvited. An axe for cutting firewood lay on the ground not to far from where Marinette was standing and, after a moment of hesitation, she grabbed onto it and climbed into the window behind the shadow. 

She heard a rustling to her left and, turning, she found a man rummaging through Gabriel Agreste’s desk. 

“I don’t believe you’re Gabriel Agreste,” her voice startled the man and he turned to her in a defensive stance, knife pulled from his pocket glinting in the faint early morning light streaming through the window. 

“I don’t believe you are, either,” he replied. “I guess neither of us should really be here, then. So why don’t you be on your way and I’ll finish up here.”

“I can’t stand by and let you rob these people. They are good people and don’t deserve this.”

The man twirled the knife in his hand and grinned until he noticed the axe dangling from one of Marinette’s hands. He lunged forward, catching her off guard, the blade grazing her in the arm. She hissed in pain but had little time to recover when the man lunged again which she narrowly avoided. She was suddenly glad she had worn the red cape, so neither of them could see when she got hurt, any blood blending in with the colour. 

“Look, we can both leave now and neither of us has to get hurt,” she said in between dodges. 

The man didn’t reply, thrusting wildly, nicking Marinette a couple more times before she’d had enough and swung the axe she held. He dodged her the first two times, the third causing a shallow gash across his chest. He staggered back into a small table and fell, the crash easily heard across the whole mansion. The man stood back up and became even more angered with this girl who suddenly stopped his heist. Clutching his chest he lunged for her again, crashing into a bookshelf when she avoided it altogether. 

The sound of a door swinging open distracted both intruders, and Marinette’s eyes widened when she noticed Adrien standing in the doorway. 

The man swore, and, instead of going for Marinette again, he attacked the new, closer target. 

“NO, ADRIEN!” Without hesitation, Marinette threw the axe as hard as she could at the man. To her surprise, it hit him straight in the back. He tensed then slumped to the floor. 

She staggered up to the man to see that his eyes were open and unfocused.

He was dead.

Realizing that she had just killed  _ another _ person, she spoke quickly under her breath saying, “No, not again, no, not again.”

She hadn’t realized she had started crying until Adrien’s shaking hands wiped her face with his handkerchief. She raised her gaze to his. He was pale, but he was looking at her softly, trying to calm her down. 

“Marinette?” Adrien asked. “Are you alright? You’re hurt. Can you stand?”

She nodded numbly, arms circling around Adrien’s neck as he helped her to her feet. Each step was harder than the last, her lightheadedness making it hard to move. She didn’t know how she managed to make it to the chaise across the room.

“Just wait here, I’ll go get some bandages to patch you up and some water. Will you be alright for a moment?”

She just nodded again and stared down at the body of the man who she had just killed. She was surprised that the feeling she had wasn’t the same as when she had killed Mr. Xavier, that of guilt and terror. 

She just felt numb.

* * *

The next time Marinette Dupain-Cheng killed someone, a bag of money found its way into her purse.


	2. Chapter 2

_ 1793 - January _

“Marinette! Where were you last night?” Alya asked her cousin, hands planted firmly on her hips. “You told me you were going to be back home by sundown!”

“I got held up at the political rally they were having,” Marinette lied smoothly. Two years of constant lying had made her practically an expert at it. While this one was not completely a lie, she failed to mention that the political rally she had been at was all the way in the neighbouring town of Bayeux for a job.

“You’re seriously getting into the politics of this revolution aren’t you? You keep mentioning those people… The Girondists?”

She nodded. “They have the right idea. I think they are going to be the ones who save our country.”

Alya rolled her eyes. “Well, please remember your previous engagements before you get too involved in things. We have a dinner tonight with M. Agreste and Adrien, so please do not be late.”

Marinette scowled at the mention of the elder Agreste man. Ever since his involvement in the September Massacres the year prior, Marinette held none of the same thoughts about him as she used to. 

“Lovely. Another night of trying not to strangle M. Agreste while he talks about the great work the Jacobins are doing for France.”

A sigh escaped Alya’s lips. “I know you don’t hold him in high regard like you used to, but he is still an important contact in our lives. We need to keep up appearances. Besides, it also means you get to see Adrien!”

“Alya, Adrien is here at least twice a week, and I’d much prefer to see him here without his father.”

“Marinette, you know that Adrien loves his father despite his issues, so if you want to be with him, you are going to have to learn to deal with his father more often.”

Marinette sighed. She and Adrien had become very close since the incident in his house; the incident that caused to her have these “jobs” in the first place.

“That is really hard to do when his father is the incarnation of Satan himself. I used to look up to him, and all he did was hurt the people of France. He used to tell stories about the hardships they faced and really helped open my eyes to how much we were suffering, and now he wants to kill hundreds of people. I can’t just turn a blind eye to that, Alya, you know that.”

“All I’m asking is that you tolerate him enough to be in the same room as him for an hour. Then you can go back to figuring out a way to end this, alright?”

“ _ Fine. _ I am doing this for you and Adrien.”

* * *

“So Marinette, I hear you’ve been busy. May I inquire what it is you’ve been doing?” Gabriel Agreste asked at dinner that evening.

“Political work. The revolution has been hitting the whole country very hard and I’m trying to help out to the best of my ability. What I do and where differs from day to day, however.”

“Ah, that’s what Adrien said when I asked him, but he didn’t seem to know anything past that. I was curious, since you two have been getting very close lately. I don’t suppose that we will hear wedding bells in the near future, hm?”

Marinette and Adrien looked at each other, faces matching shades of red.

“Père, don’t you think it’s a little early for that?” Adrien replied, suddenly avoiding Marinette’s gaze. Her mood fell at his response, but she knew that it wasn’t that simple, especially with her line of work. 

“Nonsense! Why, I was married to your mother when we were but 18 years old. I know that the younger generations are waiting longer, but your most fertile years will be over before you know it, and then I will not have the chance to meet my grandchildren.”

Choking sounds were heard through the room and Alya smirked as the two in question attempted to swallow their food. 

“Monsieur Agreste, I heard you’ve been travelling a lot to Paris lately?” Alya asked, attempting to steer the conversation away before either of her friends were embarrassed any further. 

“Yes, the trials for the king have been going on and I’ve been attending most of them. They are close to making a decision, and it’s my hope that they make the decision that is best for our country.”

Marinette frowned. Gabriel had made what she thought to be some poor decisions in the past, and she did not trust his judgement on this matter. “So Monsieur Agreste, seeing as you believe that the former King _ Louis le seize _ should not be punished for anything before he signed the constitution, what do you think is the best decision?” she asked.

“While you are right in saying I think him to not be in the wrong for anything before it, I believe that he should be executed nonetheless. He has done little to help the country since then, and I think that the death of our monarch would spell a new and better era for our people.” 

Marinette’s frown deepened and the air in the room seemed to suffocate the two listeners of the conversation with the tension. Adrien sensed that Marinette was about to give a rebuttal and stepped in, knowing his father would not hold back in his views of those she supported.

Adrien cleared his throat awkwardly. “Père, did you hear about Monsieur Lemartre? I heard he was killed yesterday after the political rally they held in Bayeux. Most believe it was someone who was against his views.”

Marinette kept her expression neutral as Gabriel and Alya digested the news. She of course already knew about it, as she had been the one to end his life. He had failed France and she was given a contract to end his life based on that notion. 

“Marinette, you seemed unsurprised by this news, did you not know him personally?” Gabriel asked.

“I did know him, and do not take my lack of response at this as me not being surprised. However, I cannot say that I am upset by this news, his views were not kind towards the people of France, and they are likely better off without him. Now, if you’ll excuse us, I believe Alya and I should be leaving. It has been a long day.  _ Bonsoir, Monsieur Agreste _ .”

Marinette quickly exited the room, grabbing her coat and waiting outside for Alya. Adrien hurried after her while Alya said her goodbyes to his father.

He could tell by the way she was standing and the look on her face that she was completely unfazed by the news he had told them, and not simply because she did not care for the man.

“So are you going to tell me the real reason?” he asked, well aware that she knew what he was talking about. “You were there last night, in Bayeux. Weren’t you?”

Marinette sighed and nodded. She uncrossed her arms, turned towards Adrien, and leaned her head on his shoulder. “How can you always tell when I’ve been away? I wasn’t even gone a whole day.”

He gestured to the two horses across the road at Alya’s estate. “Your horse, Tikki, was gone all day. The only time you take her out without going for a ride with Alya is when you’re leaving town and want to make good time. Otherwise, you prefer to wander on foot. Do not try to deny it, I’ve seen you run across rooftops at night.”

“Yes, I was there. You are so observant, it’s a wonder you haven’t taken up journalism or politics like your father. You’d be excellent at them.”

“I am only this observant when it comes to you Mari.”

She flushed and was glad he couldn’t see her face at that moment. He wrapped his arms around her, and she tensed. She loved him so much, but she knew that if anyone ever found out what she did, what she  _ had _ done, she could never be with him. Being with him would only hurt him in the long run. Despite knowing that, she reached her arms around him and returned the hug. 

“Despite all the observations in the world, I still can’t quite figure you out. I know when you leave, I know when you return, but I have no knowledge of what you do while you are away. Please let me in.”

“If you knew, you’d hate me.”

His warm hands cupped her face as he stared intensely into her eyes. “I could never hate you Marinette.”

Before she could respond, a tawny owl circled overhead, hooting twice before dropping a piece of parchment from his talons, which landed right into Marinette’s waiting hands. Adrien’s eyebrows raised at the synchronization of her and the bird while she unrolled the parchment. Upon reading what it said she gasped, dropping it from her hands.

She scrambled to pick it back up before Adrien could see it, but his vision caught the words ‘ _ The decision has been reached - Il mourra.’ _

“Marinette, what does this mean?”

“A great change for France.”

* * *

Two days later, while hundreds of Parisians watched from the crowd, King Louis XVI was executed by guillotine.

* * *

_ 1793 - April _

Adrien’s father had been in hiding for months, after it was exposed that he aided in the wrongful sentencing of many people. Many newspapers had spent time writing about how Gabriel Agreste had failed their country. Adrien could not fault his father from wanting to hide in case some angry citizens tried to get their own justice as well as his deteriorating health. Adrien wished he could do something to help his father, but that would require him knowing where he was in the first place. For the time being Adrien was alone on the estate. Well, mostly alone. Adrien often found himself in the company of a beautiful woman with dark hair and eyes so blue, the ocean and the sky would be jealous of her. Without his father around, Marinette felt more comfortable spending a great deal of time at the Agreste Estate, trying to distract Adrien from his missing father. So for the time being he was happy to be in the company of Marinette.

Despite her earlier misgivings about them being together, Marinette’s heart took over, and the two of them spent more and more time with each other in more romantic capacities. Alya often prodded and asked when the wedding was, but while Marinette was more open with him, he still knew nothing past the fact she worked in politics, which wasn’t  _ entirely  _ a lie. 

Adrien had often wondered exactly what type of politics Marinette worked in, but she danced around the question every time he asked and was never able to get a firm answer from her. One thing he had noticed was that birds were around her all the time. Most were owls, like the tawny owl that had given her the message, but the occasional pigeon and hawk were seen flying in and out of the top window of the estate across the way. Most times, he watched the birds fly in with paper in their talons, but every so often, one came out with something, as well. Those were at times that Marinette would leave on business the following day. 

Alya knew no more than he did, despite living in close quarters with her. When he asked, she said that Marinette would smile sweetly and say, “I’m just working for the good of the people.” 

“I will tell you one thing I’ve often noticed when she leaves however,” Alya told him one day after Marinette had left. “She always takes that worn old cape, the one with the spotted stains that Manon left here.”

“She was wearing it that day the man broke into my house. It was covered in blood, although you were unable to quite tell because of its natural colour,” he replied. “I wonder why she would keep it after that whole ordeal.”

“If you ask me, I think she is doing something illegal. I wasn’t going to bring it up, but remembering how we found that coat… I wouldn’t be surprised if it had something to do with that.”

“I think I am going to ask her. I love her, Alya, and I do not want either of us to be keeping secrets from each other.”

“If this matter weren’t so serious, I would be jumping with joy over you telling me that you love my best friend. Unfortunately, it is serious, and, while I think you’re doing the right thing in asking her, do not be upset if she doesn’t tell you everything you want to know. Our Mari is very secretive.”

* * *

Adrien thought back on that particular conversation every time Marinette left on one of her secret voyages.

One day he decided to finally confront her on it.

Alya let him into their house when he noticed Marinette was gearing Tikki up for a ride and left him alone there, where he found and grabbed the red cape poking out of a drawer and sat in his regular chair in the sitting room. 

Marinette walked in without noticing him at first, flying up the stairs and coming down shortly after, overnight bag in hand. He thought he saw a bow sticking out of the corner, but she placed the bag by the side entrance where he could no longer see it, and finally took notice of him when she couldn’t find her cape.

“Oh! Adrien! When did you arrive?” she asked, then took notice of what was in his lap. “What are you doing with that?”

“You know, the first time I saw you wearing this, before I realized it was you, I was reminded of a ladybug. They are known as symbols for good luck, and I was lucky enough to have you save me.”

“Adrien-”

“This is not even yours. So why is it so important that you bring it with you?”

“It’s like a good luck charm. Like you said, ladybugs are known for good luck.”

“Marinette, I love you.”

Marinette was taken aback by his sudden declaration. One minute it felt like an interrogation, the next he was telling her this. She stood there in shock for a moment, her face growing hotter as he watched her closely for a reaction. When none came, he continued to speak. 

“I love you, and that is why I am concerned that you are not telling me what it is you really do. Alya is worried, as well. You come and go whenever, even if that is in the middle of the night, and the look in your eyes when you return is not the same look I remember you having when you moved here. I’m worried that whatever it is you do has changed you.”

“Adrien, do you recall when last asked me about this, a couple of months ago? I told you that you would hate me if you knew. After what you just told me, I am honestly worried that despite the fact that you l-love me, you will still hate me afterwards. I cannot tell you because it is safer if you are ignorant to it.” 

Adrien frowned. He’d hoped that she would finally trust him enough to tell him what she was doing. 

“It’s safer? For who? Because, as far as I am concerned, not knowing is keeping no one safer than if we did. Marinette, a week ago, Alya watched you go to wash your own clothes despite having people to do that for you. She said she saw  _ blood _ . How is it safer if you or someone around you is bleeding?”

“Alright, fine. What I do can be dangerous. The keyword here being  _ can _ . It is not because I am good at what I do, and I am able to keep myself safe. Adrien, please listen when I tell you that you do not know what it is I do because I am trying to protect you.”

It was Adrien’s turn to be at a loss for words. She had just divulged more information than he had ever gotten out of her before, but it still wasn’t enough for him to know what exactly it was that she did. He did, however, have a hunch about it, thinking back to Mr. Lemartre and the man who broke into his house. 

“Marinette, I am going to ask you something and you need to be honest with me,” he said. He took her silence as an answer to continue. “Were you the one who killed Mr. Lemartre in Bayeux?”

The question caught Marinette off guard just long enough for her mask to drop and for Adrien to get his answer. “That’s what I thought,” he said and got up, handing her the coat before heading for the door.

“Adrien, wait, let me explain!”

“Explain what? That you have been lying to us about doing political work? Killing people does not constitute political work.”

Marinette wrapped her arms around Adrien’s torso, face in between his shoulder blades.

“Listen, Adrien. I love you, too. I did not want to tell you that because I am scared. I am scared that you’ll be in danger if you know, and I could never forgive myself for that.”

“Marinette, people have tried to hurt me my whole life, because of my father.. So please tell me what is going on.”

“Adrien let me ask you this: Where is your father? Why is he missing?”

“You know why.”

It was true, she knew exactly why his father was gone, and part of that had to do with the work she did. He had gone into hiding because he could not defend himself in the open from the people who disagreed with his views. She had not known it when they met, but now she saw it everywhere she went - the insignia that he bore on his coats and in his office, that of a black butterfly, was the symbol for the organization AKUMA, whose radical views were likely the contributing factors to the start of the revolution. She wondered if Adrien knew that his father was a part of that. 

“Do you really know what kind of man your father is?” 

Adrien observed Marinette, but her face gave away nothing to help him understand where she was trying to go with this question. 

“He is not perfect,” he answered. “None of us are. I know he has done some questionable things, but he is my father nonetheless. We are here to talk about you, though, so he has nothing to do with this.”

“Oh, but he does. He is part of the reason that I do what I do. The reason why I need to sneak around behind everyone in the shadows. If you knew what kind of man your father really is, and the kind of people he associates with, you would understand why I do what I do. Maybe, if you knew, I could tell you and not have to worry about your feelings changing for me, nor worry about your well being. I know you love your father, which is why I have never said anything up until now.” 

“Why now of all times?”

“It is because I care for you so much. If I am going to tell you the truth about me, you deserve to know the truth about your father, as well. I know where he is.”

She knew where he was? Why hadn’t she told him? He had told her that he wanted to find his father shortly after his disappearance, and she’d kept that from him?

“You knew this whole time?”

“No, I only found out a few days ago. I chose not to tell you because I did not want you to try and find him, just in case  _ they _ decided to pay him a visit while you were there.”

“They? Who are  _ they _ ?”

“My… employers, I guess you could say. Just because I am not in danger, it does not mean that I am not around dangerous people. I want to keep you safe, Adrien, and that means potentially keeping you from your father.”

“Where is he?”

“Adrien-”

“Marinette, please.”

She sighed, and accepted that he was not going to back down from this. As much as she disliked, even hated, his father, one of the reasons she loved Adrien so much was his loyalty; that he would love someone despite all they’d done wrong. 

In that moment, she realized that he would still love her in the same way.

She smiled softly at him. “Alright. I’ll tell you where he is, on one condition. I have to be there with you the whole time. If they find out you have seen him because of me, we could both be in danger. He’s not far, so we can be there, see him, and return at most in a matter of hours.”

* * *

Adrien followed Marinette to the outskirts of the city on their horses, towards the dense forest that surrounded their town. After riding for a short time she signaled him to get off of his horse. She dismounted as well and they tied their reins around a small nearby tree.

“We’re almost there but we have to get the rest of the way on foot.”

Adrien nodded.

Eventually, they came upon a decently sized house in the middle of the forest. Marinette stopped at the stairs and gestured for him to go knock on the door. He hesitated for a moment, looking back at her. She gave him a smile, but it was one that did not reach her eyes. He also missed the way her nose crinkled when she made in a genuine smile. He took a deep breath, rapped on the door three times, and waited. 

When no one came after a minute, he frowned, then raised his hand again to knock, but the door cracked open. All the two could see was an eye, but despite that, Adrien could tell it was his father’s, which was confirmed when the man opened up the door the whole way. 

Adrien started to smile but it faltered when he saw how hollowed out his eyes were. The more he looked, the worse his father seemed. His skin was sickly grey, and the boy was unsure how his father was even standing. The man’s once strong figure was reduced to a hunch, with nothing but skin and bones holding him upright. 

“Adrien, what are you doing here?”

“I came to see you… Père, what happened?” 

Gabriel then took notice of the girl standing at the bottom of the stairs. He frowned, but her face remained blank. 

“Adrien, you should not be here. It is not safe for you. She should have explained that to you,” he said gesturing at Marinette.

“She did tell me, but I told her I wanted to see you, anyway. You vanished without telling me why, and I was worried. Please, I just want to know that you’re safe.”

“I am sorry, my son, I did not mean to worry you as much as I did. It is not safe for me at home, and it is clearly not safe for me here anymore. Go back home. I cannot tell you where I am going, but I can tell you that as long as you are with her, we must not see each other.”

“I know a little of what Marinette does, and I also know a little about why you cannot be in public. Part of me came here to make sure you were alright, but the other part wants me to tell you to stop what it is you are doing. I never said anything before now because I did not want you to think that I think poorly of you, but what you are doing is wrong. You need to stop if you want to live a happy life.”

“Take a look at me, son. I do not have long left either way. I am sick and so if I must die soon, I might as well be doing something that I can believe in.”

“Père, please, the revolution has done enough for this country. It needs to end.”

Gabriel glared at Marinette, who had remained silent during their conversation, but whose lips were turning up at the corners ever so slightly upon hearing what Adrien had been saying. “Adrien, if you truly understood what it is I’m doing, you would not have come here, and especially not with her. I know I cannot dissuade you from being with her, so I must be the one to stay away from you.”

“I am sick and tired of everyone treating me like I am some fragile child! I only just got Marinette to stop hiding things from me, and now you are, too!” He sighed in defeat before continuing. “Fine, Père, leave me again. But know that I believed in you, especially after mother died. Clearly I was wrong to do so. Goodbye.” 

Adrien turned and walked past Marinette in the direction of their horses. 

Marinette and Gabriel locked eyes for a brief moment before she bowed politely and turned to follow Adrien. While she was glad that Adrien had finally seen how his father would not change, she did not understand how he had a change of heart so quickly. 

“Adrien?” she called out as he was mounting his horse.

He did not respond and instead turned to ride back into town. The whole ride was silent until they got back to his estate. She followed him inside and once they were safely back in his home, Marinette watched as tears slid down Adrien’s face.

“I’ve lost both my parents Marinette. I have no family left.”

She wrapped her arms around him and rubbed soothing circles on his back. “That isn’t true. You have Alya and I. We are your family and we will never leave you.”

Adrien nodded and let her hold him for a while. Marinette knew that she was going to be in trouble when Gabriel moved somewhere new since it had taken them this long to find him the first time, but she would take her punishment in stride if it meant she had helped Adrien. Even if he was upset now, he would calm down and things would be better. 

They always got better.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AU Created by heartfiliadaydream and miraculous-lady-trash of Tumblr.
> 
> Written by heartfiliadaydream
> 
> http://heartfiliadaydream.tumblr.com  
> http://miraculous-lady-trash.tumblr.com


	3. Chapter 3

_ 1793 - July _

Adrien had learned a few things in the months following the meeting with his father in the forest. 

Firstly, he learned about the threat AKUMA (disguised as the Jacobins) posed to the country and his father was a member of them.

Secondly, he learned that the Girondins were largely composed of members of the Assassin’s Alliance, Marinette included, and their mission was to eliminate anyone that posed a threat to France. They had found her after the two accidental murders and believed she could be of great use, training her to be more stealthy and swift in her assassinations. 

He had to admit that learning those two pieces of information made everything he didn’t understand before, much clearer. 

Once he  _ had _ learned them, his life seemed to have new purpose. He needed to fix the problems his father had caused, and could think of no better way than helping Marinette take care of the people who followed in that same path. He swore he would never kill to do so, but did not stop her. Staying in the public eye, he worked to legally stop those the Alliance wished to kill. 

Until he found out who their next target was - one that was up to Marinette to kill.

“Adrien, it is going to happen either way, at least if I do it, I can end it quickly.”

The two had been arguing all morning about her particular target, and neither were budging. “You don’t understand, I do not care that he has done bad things, he is my  _ father _ and I cannot let you just go kill him!” 

“He said it himself, he is dying either way. Think of it as me saving him from a long and painful death by illness. Not to mention the lives we will be saving by ending his long list of unnecessary executions. They have had to replace the blade on the guillotine  _ three times _ since the death of King Louis.”

“I understand that, but why does it have to be  _ you _ !?”

“Because I asked them to let me do it!” Marinette yelled and immediately regretted it after seeing the look on his face.

Adrien was silent for a moment, trying to formulate a response, or to understand why Marinette when do that before she started up again.

“Do you not think that this is hurting me too? I once looked up to him. He _is_ your father and I love you and would never want to hurt you like this. You know that I have never killed anyone under the Alliance’s orders that I did not think was for the good of France. The fact of the matter is, he has been condemned to death, and I am doing this because _you_ mean everything to me and I could not let your father die at the hands of someone else.” 

“When?”

“When what?”

“When are you going to kill him?”

Marinette looked down, not wanting to meet his eye when she answered. “Two days. He is supposed to be a the meeting of the National Convention. They want me to make a public spectacle out of it.”

“That is the one that is going to be held in Paris, right? I’m coming with you.” 

“What? No! Adrien I don’t want you to be there!” she said, but ultimately she knew that there was nothing she could do about it if he had made up his mind. The best thing she could do was to keep him in her sights during the whole ordeal. 

“I will not take no for an answer. I am coming, and that is that.”

“Please do not think badly of me for what you are going to see. The way I do things is different from that time in your house.”

“Marinette, we have been through this. I love you and not even the death of my father will change that. I admit that this is a lot to take in, and it may take me a while to fully come to terms with it, but I will be by your side throughout it all.”

“You deserve more than this.”

“Whether or not I deserve it, I want  _ you _ and if that means all this, I will live with it.”

“I’m beginning to think I don’t deserve you. But alright, we leave for Paris in the morning. It will take us all day to get there,” she concluded.

How was she going to explain this to Alya? 

* * *

Explaining to Alya that she and Adrien would be taking an overnight trip to Paris was much easier than she thought it would be, and she honestly should have expected it, given the looks Alya was directing at her throughout the conversation. What she didn’t expect was the fancy dress Alya shoved in her bag before they left, saying it was “just in case.”

If only she knew the reason they were going, she would know Marinette would not have any use for the dress. 

Their trip was mostly uneventful and fairly quiet, given the gravity of their travels, but Marinette was grateful for the time spent with Adrien in the event that something went wrong when they arrived in Paris. 

When they reached the Alliance safe house they would be staying at, it was already well into the night. 

Adrien turned to Marinette and asked,“So what exactly is the plan for tomorrow?”

“So far as I’ve been told, he should be getting there around eleven o’clock. The meeting starts an hour later, so in between those times would be the most ideal, especially with the crowds that will be gathering.”

“Are you sure this is what you want to do? It’s not too late to turn back on this.”

Marinette walked over to Adrien and snaked her arms around his waist, wrapping them around him. “I have to do this. For me and for France.”

“What happens if you get caught?” Adrien asked, afraid of the answer.

Marinette’s expression grew somber and she thought a moment before answering. “You’ve seen the punishment for crimes in the last year. Let’s just hope I’m too good to get caught.”

* * *

Marinette spent a good deal of time waiting in the crowd for Gabriel to arrive on the scene.

She waited so long that the sun had gone from the eastern horizon to directly over her head and he still had not arrived. Her frown deepened with each passing hour, and she had started to sweat under the hot summer sun, dressed in her red and black stained cape. 

From the corner of her eye she could see a figure moving towards her, and on the outside they looked like a normal person, but from the way they walked she could tell they were Alliance without seeing their face.

They stopped right behind her and leaned over to whisper in her ear, “Our informant lied. He has not attended any meeting for two weeks now.”

The information made her eyes grow wide. Her hands trembled and she took a deep breath, shakily letting it out, trying to calm herself at the news. She had planned this for several days and it fell apart in a matter of moments.

“Do we know where he is now?” she asked, not looking back at them.

“His temporary home is in the septième arrondissement, just off the Champs de Mars. Notable markers are distinct lack of cockades and a blue roof.”

“Merci. I will carry it out as soon as I am able,” Marinette said and felt the presence behind her disappear. She whipped around and made her way swiftly back to Adrien.

* * *

When she walked through the safehouse door, Adrien was practically waiting on the other side, a look of worry on his face. The worry turned to surprise when she shook her head.

“What happened?” he asked.

“Your father never showed. Apparently, he has not appeared at the meetings for two weeks. So now I have to go find him in his Parisian home. It is going to take me half of an hour to get there so I need to eat before I go. No use trying to hurt someone if I can’t hold myself up.”

Adrien sighed, partially in relief, partially because he wished they could put this whole mess behind them. “There was some food in the pantry, I can pull out some baguette and cheeses if you’d like?”

Marinette sat at the table and  smiled at him, grateful to have him around even if she hadn’t wanted him there in the first place. She had been completely ready to kill Gabriel when she had been standing in the crowd, but now that she had more time before it happened, she grew anxious. He would obviously have people guarding the house, making her going unnoticed during her entrance and exit all the more difficult. 

Adrien snapped Marinette out of her strategic thinking placing down the food and saying, “You look like you’re having second thoughts about this.”

“Not second thoughts per se, just… I have to come up with a whole new strategy and I have very little time to do so. We have no idea when he’ll be moving locations again.”

“I know that it sounds really odd for me to being saying this, but everything will work out alright. You are very good at what you do, and you wouldn’t be if things like this set you back so easily. I believe in you, Marinette, I always have and I always will.”

Marinette stood and closed the distance between them in two steps, reaching on her tiptoes to press her lips to his. He quickly reciprocated cupping her face with his hands, tilting his head to deepen the kiss and earning a sigh of content.

She smiled up at him and reached for his face, stroking his cheek gently with her thumb before she spoke. 

“Adrien, I love you. I know it hasn’t been easy these last few years, but I am glad I spent them with you.”

“You’re talking as if you were going to die tomorrow.”

“I’m not sure what will happen after this. Although I’m not doing it in public, I cannot shake the feeling something is going to go wrong when I do it.” 

After a moment she pulled back to look at him and giggled at the shade of red currently blossoming across his face. He pulled her back in before she could say anything and smirked when she squeaked in surprise. In retaliation, she bit down on his lower lip just enough for him to gasp and for her to really kiss him, the way she’d dreamed about when she’d been old enough to want these things, and was especially imaginative. Since their declaration, they’d kissed, but due to the nature of their work and some underlying issues, they’d never been entirely intimate with each other. 

Adrien’s hands had moved from her face to her head, hands grasping her hair and pulling them out of the ribbon she’d tied it back in.

His hands moved down her back and to her waist, but before he could go any lower, she jumped and wrapped her legs around him to hold herself up, pulling her body as close to his as humanly possible. He held her thighs for extra support and carried her into the bedroom where he set her down gently. Climbing on the bed with her, he looked down at her, hair splayed around her like a fan, lips kissed bruised and a lazy, content look on her face. 

“Mari…”

She didn’t give him the chance to say anything else. She grabbed him with her free hand and pulled him down to her, kisses more intense this time around, and Adrien was instantly at her mercy.

_ I know that I am supposed to be getting ready to kill his father, but right now I need him. I have some time, _ Marinette thought before losing herself in him. 

* * *

Marinette was slightly surprised at how quickly Adrien had fallen asleep in the middle of the day, regardless of their previous activities. She smile softly and stroked his hair before she remembered what she had been doing prior to their distraction.

Careful not to wake him, she got dressed and readied herself to finish her task. She concealed a dagger into her boot and another needle thin one into a sheath hidden beneath her tunic, both fairly accessible in a pinch. Somewhere in the back of her mind however, Marinette wanted to just strangle Gabriel with her bare hands for all of the pain and suffering he’d caused.

Just before she opened the door, Adrien’s voice stopped her. 

“Be careful, Marinette.”

She nodded and left, making her way to the rooftops which were much quicker, save for her quick dismount to walk across the bridge. 

When she could see the Champs de Mars, she started to look for the house the other assassin had described to her. She found it without much trouble. While most of the houses were adorned with various versions of the cockade, a singular house held none on its windows or doors, and the roof was an unusual shade of blue.

From a rooftop across the road peeking out from behind a chimney, she watched the windows in the house for any sign of movement. 

As far as she could tell there was no one inside the house at all. There was a third floor window open, and Marinette marked it as her point of entrance. She knew she could easily exit from any other door or window, noting where each of them was in case she needed to make a quick getaway.

She emerged from her hiding spot and leapt onto the balcony below, shimmying around to the side of the house where she could finish her descent and cross the road completely undetected. 

There was little space to climb up the house with the two surrounding houses too close, so she climbed up the house to the right and swiftly made her way across the roof, swinging into the open window. Her landing was extremely quiet and she took a moment to observe her surroundings. There was little furniture in the room, nothing more than a side table and an old desk, the overall feel of the room being it was either unused or completely abandoned. She guessed it was closer to the latter as cobwebs had formed in most areas and several spiders had taken up residence in the corners and under the desks. Judging by the state of the window sill, the window had been open for a long time, showing lots of weather damage. 

As quietly as she could, she opened the door to the room and looked out to see if anyone was in the hallways. There was no one visible and the whole house was silent.

_ It’s almost too quiet. I need to get this over with as quickly as possible. _

Almost every door in the house was closed, making Marinette open every door, extending the duration of her stay in the house. She must have checked every door on the second and third floors before she heard a cough behind a large set of double doors at the end of the second floor hallway. The door was open just a crack, light filtering through. Sidling up against the closed of the two doors, she looked inside.

She had to bite back a gasp when she saw Gabriel barely sitting up in his bed, resembling a corpse more than a living man, absolutely nothing like how she remembered him. She suddenly couldn’t understand why the Alliance wanted this man dead so badly when he was clearly at death’s doorstep, anyway.

His eyes were trained on the window overlooking the Champs de Mars, not wavering when Marinette entered the room.

“I should have known it was going to be you. I let you into my home, practically gave you and Adrien my blessing, and, in the end, it is going to be you who ends my life.” 

“It’s nothing personal.”

Gabriel scoffed which quickly turned into a coughing fit. “You can hide behind that lie if it helps you sleep at night. I have come to terms with this, and it saves me from suffering throughout this illness anymore. Just know that you will have to live with Adrien knowing you killed his father.”

Marinette stood at his bedside, thigh holstered knife in hand. 

“He loves me and he has come to terms with this as well. Is there anything you would like me to tell him? Any last words?”

He turned to look at her. “Nothing I say will help. Just get this over with.”

“Au revoir, Monsieur Agreste.”

She’s never forgotten anyone she’s ever killed, and this time was no exception as the dagger slipped easily in and out of his throat. Blood sputtered out of the wound and out of his mouth for a moment, but it was over in a matter of seconds, his frail body unable to keep him alive much longer. 

She took the corner of her cape and wiped the blood on one of the black spots to hide the stain and turned to make her way through the window. 

The moment she climbed out however, she was met with an inspector standing just outside. 

“Mademoiselle Marinette Dupain, I am  _ Inspecteur Roger, _ and you are under arrest for conspiracy and the murder of Gabriel Agreste, as well as four other notable counts. Come with me.”

* * *

The news of Marinette’s arrest reached Adrien a few hours later, along with the official news of his father’s death. He rushed over to the jail, demanding to see her under the guise of seeing the woman who murdered his father. With little a coaxing, the guards let him in and he found himself standing in front of her, metal bars between them.

“I thought you were too good to get caught.”

Marinette let out a shaky laugh. “Normally, I am. Normally, there is also not an inspector waiting right outside to arrest me. Your father planned this.”

“I am so sorry. Let me try to do something to get you out of this. My father did a number of things some people did not agree with, I am sure we can figure this out.”

“Even if we we could, I still murdered those other four people they now know about, as well as my involvement in an illegal organization. There is no way out of this. Woman or not, I see the guillotine in my future.”

Reaching through the bars, he took her hand in his own. He knew there was a couple days before they would actually take her there, giving him some time to figure it out. 

On his person he did not have much, but he did have a knife the inspector did not find on him before he came in. Maybe he could give it to her when the guards weren’t looking, and she could find a way out. She was good with lock picking too, so he was sure she could figure a way out of the cell before then. 

Once she was free, she would find him and the two of them would flee the country. There was enough money left by his father for them to have an easy and clean start somewhere else. He heard his father speak about relatives in England who were very kind to their kin, they could stay with them until they learned enough English to get jobs and live there. England was known for its new and bountiful job opportunities and his recent work with the Alliance could come in handy with finding something to do. 

Unfortunately, the Alliance was ever present in most European countries, and leaving it was not something easily done. The new colonies across the ocean would give them a better life and he knew there was a French colony somewhere close to shore, they could start new lives in. 

It would be a long and arduous journey, but he knew they could make it. He would ask her to stay with him forever and they would lead simple lives. They would have children. Two, maybe three. He liked the name Louis and he had often heard Marinette speak of her grandfather Hugo. A family name would be nice for them with so little family left to speak of. 

The sound of Marinette saying his name snapped him out of his daydream. 

He glanced around to make sure there weren’t any guards looking and slipped her the knife between the bars of her cell. Her eyes widened and with a wary look at the guard, snatched it from him and hid it in the waistband of her pants before the guard could notice. 

The two shared a look, each hoping to wordlessly convey their thoughts. Marinette trying to tell Adrien how grateful she was for him looking out for her, and him hoping she understood exactly what it was she needed to do. 

“Everything will be alright. I’ll see you soon,” Adrien assured her, more for his own benefit. 

She smiled, but it did not help to reassure him any more. 

* * *

Two days later and Marinette hadn’t found the right time to get out. The guards barely came near her cell, and her lock picking skills were useless without any materials small enough to fit in the lock. Her execution was slated for later that day, and she knew Adrien would be worrying about her. She could picture the furrow in his brows she saw whenever he was waiting for her to get back from a job and smiled.

“Alright  _ Madame Assassin _ , time to go,” Inspector Roger said. He unlocked her cell, handcuffed her hands in front of her and gestured for her to leave. 

Marinette knew it was now or never. She slowly walked out in front of the inspector and pulled out the knife Adrien had given her, remembering all the lessons she had learned in the Alliance. This needed to be quick, and she needed to be close enough to an exit to be able to escape before the guards could get to her. They passed by an open window and she turned to strike, aiming to hit him across the stomach with a slashing motion. 

Inspector Roger was caught off guard by the sudden attack and the blade cut clean through his upper abdomen, completely incapacitating him. 

The guards were after her in an instant. Dropping the knife, Marinette snatched the keys off the inspector and narrowly missed being caught by one of the guards as she vaulted through the window. When she hit ground on the other side, she wasted no time in uncuffing herself and taking off into a nearby crowd, hoping to blend in and lose the guards in the process. 

She could sense the crowd parting not far behind her and shouting from the guards trying to find her. She thanked her lucky stars for once that she did not inherit her father’s height and was easily shorter than most of the people in the crowd, making it easy for her to lose the guards. She ducked into an alleyway and hoped her hunch was right and Adrien had stayed at the safe house. She knew it wasn’t the safest place for her to go, but she had promised herself she would find him after she escaped.

Upon coming up to the house she threw the door open, and watched as Adrien jumped, falling out of the chair he had been sitting on. He looked around, eyes wide until they landed on the figure in the doorway. He smiled and ran up to hug her.

“I was so worried about you!” 

“We don’t have much time,” she said and returned the embrace. She then noticed that what he was wearing was unlike what he usually wore. “Why are you dressed like that?”

He was completely clad in black clothing; pants, shirt, he even wore a black cape overtop of it all.

He blushed and rubbed the back of his neck. “Like I said, I was really worried about you, so I took a page out of your book and I figured if you weren’t able to escape I would come and save you. I was thinking of naming myself ‘ _ Chat Noir _ ’. I suppose I won’t need this alter ego anymore, will I?” 

“It suits you. We might need it later, but right now we need to go. I don’t know how long it will take for them to realize where I am, or find a way to block off all ways out of the city.”

Adrien nodded and grabbed his things quickly, the two of them heading out the back door. Marinette was glad the Alliance had the forethought to have a safe house closer to the edge of town for a quicker getaway. 

They took less travelled roads and alleyways and were constantly on watch for any guards, but Marinette allowed herself a moment to fantasize about what her life with Adrien would be like once they were out of the city. She supposed they were going to have to go farther than just the city. She was an assassin, an escaped prisoner and she had probably killed a city official, they were going to have to leave the country soon, but as long as she was with Adrien, she knew they would be fine.

She soon learned things would not be fine.

They had just left the city when thundering footsteps could be heard from close behind them. It sounded like a herd of elephants and when Marinette turned around, she saw more than fifty guards running towards them. Grabbing Adrien by the hand, they ran as fast as they could straight into a forested area. Knowing they couldn’t completely outrun them, they found a place to hide and crouched in some bushes.

“Mari-” Adrien started, but she shushed him as a guard passed a few feet away. 

When he was far enough away, Marinette whispered, “Adrien, this doesn’t look good. I need you to run for it and I’ll distract them long enough for you to get away. It’s likely they don’t know who you are.”

“I’m not leaving you here!” he whispered back. “We can get out of this, I know it.”

Marinette’s eyes stung with tears. “There is no getting out of this. They are going to catch me and execute me, and that is a fact. You can still get away. You can live.”

“Life isn’t worth living without you, Marinette.”

The tears that she had kept at bay overflowed onto her cheeks. She leaned over and pressed her lips against Adrien’s quickly and prayed that they spared his life. 

The two of them tried to crawl their way between the guards that were searching the area, but just as they were able to taste the freedom, Marinette was grabbed by the collar of her shirt, and Adrien was grabbed moments afterwards. 

They didn’t even bother to lock them up, just brought them straight to where the guillotine was located since Marinette was supposed to be there either way. Along the way, Marinette asked the guards what was going to happen to Adrien and pleaded with them to spare his life, but they were silent the whole journey back into the city. 

When the form of the guillotine was visible at the Place de la Revolution, reality set in for both of them. They were never going to get their happy ending, or live out their days together. Marinette thought about how she was not going to be able to apologize to Alya for all the trouble she’d caused or for not returning to her in the end. 

Marinette turned to Adrien and she mouthed ‘ _ I love you’  _ and _ ‘I’m sorry _ ’ to him before the guards took her away. He knew while they may not have their happily ever after, they were together and he was happy enough to be living out the short rest of his life with her. 

Looking back at their lives Adrien found that accidents happen, frequently at that, but he knew it was no accident that they had found each other.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AU Created by heartfiliadaydream and miraculous-lady-trash of Tumblr.
> 
> Written by heartfiliadaydream
> 
> http://heartfiliadaydream.tumblr.com  
> http://miraculous-lady-trash.tumblr.com

**Author's Note:**

> AU Created by heartfiliadaydream and miraculous-lady-trash of Tumblr.
> 
> Written by heartfiliadaydream.
> 
> http://heartfiliadaydream.tumblr.com  
> http://miraculous-lady-trash.tumblr.com


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